Weird ways people have tried to beat the weather

By Compiled by John-Henry Perera

on May 28, 2014 12:24 PM

Photo: -/AFP/Getty Images

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Shooting tornados down

Can you zap a tornado? Some have proposed using an array of satellites to shoot microwaves at the cold winds that form tornadoes. Of course, someone would have to build this collection of satellites for that purpose. less

Can you zap a tornado? Some have proposed using an array of satellites to shoot microwaves at the cold winds that form tornadoes. Of course, someone would have to build this collection of satellites for that ... more

Photo: NASA

Can you zap a tornado? Some have proposed using an array of... Photo-3041911.86665 - Houston Chronicle

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Dumping oil into the sea

Can an oil slick stop a hurricane? A University of California-Berkeley researcher threw out an idea that ancient mariners might have been onto something when they dumped oil onto troubled waters. He believes a similar method could reduce the surface tension of water and prevent droplets from forming. less

Can an oil slick stop a hurricane? A University of California-Berkeley researcher threw out an idea that ancient mariners might have been onto something when they dumped oil onto troubled waters. He believes a ... more

Photo: NICOLAS ASFOURI, AFP/Getty Images

Can an oil slick stop a hurricane? A University of... Photo-4986124.86665 - Houston Chronicle

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Shooting at the sky

Can you prevent hail from forming? Hail cannons are shock wave generators that supposedly disrupt the creation of hail through powerful sound waves. There's little evidence to prove they work.

Can you prevent hail from forming? Hail cannons are shock wave generators that supposedly disrupt the creation of hail through powerful sound waves. There's little evidence to prove they work.

Can you shield the Earth from the Sun? Former Microsoft technology chief Nathan Myhrvold has floated the idea of pumping liquid sulfer dioxide into the atmosphere using helium-filled balloons. This would create "stratoshield," dimming the sun and reducing the effects of global warming in affected areas. less

Can you shield the Earth from the Sun? Former Microsoft... Photo-5356227.86665 - Houston Chronicle

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Rubber tire solution

Can you throw rubber tires at a hurricane? A leading British engineer and Microsoft billionaire Bill Gates have patented an idea involving tires and giant plastic tubes. The idea is that a large blob of these tires and plastic tubes would float toward a potential hurricane area and cool the water, preventing it from forming. less

Can you destroy a hurricane by coating the ocean with some kind... Photo-5261780.86665 - Houston Chronicle

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Dropping some icebergs

Can you throw icebergs at a cyclone? Short answer: No, you can't.
You would need a lot of icebergs to cover the cyclone's massive area,
and you would need to be quick to match its speed. Plus, changing the
temperature of the ocean is bad for all the creatures in the sea. less

Can you throw icebergs at a cyclone? Short answer: No, you... Photo-5209790.86665 - Houston Chronicle

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Nuclear explosion

Can you nuke a hurricane? Some people have proposed humanity take the brute force approach in dealing with Mother Nature. Unfortunately, there are two problems with that. One, nuclear weapons couldn't hope to match the energy a tropical cyclone can create. Two, any resulting radiation from a bomb can be picked up by hurricane winds and dispersed across the land. less

Can you nuke a hurricane? Some people have proposed humanity take the brute force approach in dealing with Mother Nature. Unfortunately, there are two problems with that. One, nuclear weapons couldn't hope to ... more

Photo: -, AFP/Getty Images

Can you nuke a hurricane? Some people have proposed humanity... Photo-1767684.86665 - Houston Chronicle

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A U.S. conspiracy

Does the U.S. have a weather control center? Despite the murmurings from conspiracy theorists, the answer is probably no. The High-frequency Active Auroral Research Program in Alaska is a research facility dedicated to the study of activity in Earth's ionosphere. Some believe that the facility may be responsible for several meteorological disasters, including floods and droughts. less